Mic Input Vs Line In on Computers

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lurgan liar

lurgan liar

Jimmy Page XXVIII
What exactly is the difference between using the Mic Input s on your computer rather than the Line In....

Until now I have been using the mic socket as i don't have the RCA connectors necessary to connect my Boss GT-6 pedal into the Line In on my computer....

When recording i need to turn the volume way down on the pedal...will this be different when using the Line In ?
 
Mic input is for Low Z (impedance) signal and "line in" is for hotter line level signal.

Plugging Line level kit into a mic in will not sound good !!
 
Aren't both the line in and mic in on your computer 1/8" jacks? You should be able to plug in to the line in the same as you do the mic.

And yeah, a line level signal is way too hot for the mic input...
 
I bet you'll be much happier with the quality of the line input compared to the mic input. Worth it to get the right cable or plug adapter. The mic input is for a crappy quality of unbalanced mic, and puts the signal through a poor quality mic preamp before it gets to the same place in the circuitry as the line input goes to already. So if you're at line level going in already, it only degrades the sound to go into the mic input.

And if you should want to record with a mic, you're much better off putting it through an inexpensive external preamp and going into the line input from that.

Good luck with it.

Tim
 
If you have a preamp or mixer, plug it into your line input, not the mic input, then plug your mic or instrument into the pre/mixer. I have used the mic input for direct guitar when I could'nt afford anything else. I used a mini plug to 1/4" adapter. It did'nt sound great, and it clipped pretty easy, but it worked.

Get the necessary adapter cable to plug your effects box into the line in.
 
lurgan liar said:
Cheers guys...No my line input isn't a 1/8 "

The audio input is 2 little connectors "one red and one white" similar to the audio output on a PC .... there is a pic over here of the front panel of my PC...you will see what i mean....

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=154371

:confused:
Click to expand...
Wow, I see what you mean now. I think you may be looking for an RCA to 1/4" and plug it in that way.

If you have the money, you might want to look into a pc recording interface (some refer to them as a soundcard) like an M-Audio. It would save you tons of headaches...
 
External Soundcard

would it be possible to buy an external sound card of some description as my computer isn't exactly a PC ...its more of an multimedia system ....could i connect a soundcard via a USB port ..or is this just me talking nonsense at 5:20 am as per usual :confused:
 
lurgan liar said:
would it be possible to buy an external sound card of some description as my computer isn't exactly a PC ...its more of an multimedia system ....could i connect a soundcard via a USB port ..or is this just me talking nonsense at 5:20 am as per usual :confused:
Click to expand...
No, they do make usb interfaces....

Here is a whole page of them to look at...
 
yes you could, and yes about the usb thing. I would connect your box up to those rca jacks first and see how you like that. it should sound fine. you will need, I'm assuming your guitar box has 1/4" outs, one or two rca to 1/4" cables. they're cheap so if you still don't like the sound you're getting, you have'nt lost much.
 
hi there

talking about mic-inputs: i have a cheap pc-mic (which I don't use for music) that I want to hook up to my mixer (which runs into the line-in). but i'm confused: the pc-mic has that 1/8-jack that looks like stereo. so do i have to buy a 1/8-stereo to 1/4-stereo adapter to make it work with my mixer or can I ignore one of the channels?
 
six said:
hi there

talking about mic-inputs: i have a cheap pc-mic (which I don't use for music) that I want to hook up to my mixer (which runs into the line-in). but i'm confused: the pc-mic has that 1/8-jack that looks like stereo. so do i have to buy a 1/8-stereo to 1/4-stereo adapter to make it work with my mixer or can I ignore one of the channels?
Click to expand...

I doubt it would be stereo personally...You would probably need an an adapter from 1/8" to 1/4" for it to work. If it 'is' Stereo, then you can ignore one of the channels, just pan either hard left or hard right.
 
Got it working

Hey guys ..thanks to this forum I finally got my Boss GT-6 connected properly to my PC and i must say the recording quality is 10 times bettter than when using the mic ...i can turn the pedal volume way up and not have to worry about clipping :)

Cheers guys
 
the mic input is a dual channel mono signal if that makes sence. the line in is stereo. i learned this when recording drums and trying to pan with my mixer.
 
mic input is dual channel mono? is'nt that the definition of stereo? I thought the mic input was something like an xlr input.
 
Line in is stereo?

I use Guitar Tracks Pro2 to record acoustic guitar and have just started using the line in with a condenser mic and a preamp

I have only been getting a signal in the left channel, even though I specify stereo as the input type in GTP2, In windows audio the line in is set panned middle like it should be.

I just can't work out why it only registers on the left channel.

Also, anyone know why recording via line in lets me hear what I am playing in my headphones while recording a 2nd track over a 1st track........but when I record with mic in I don't hear in my headphones what I play while I dub over the 1st track?

I like it the second way. I'd like to be able to mute that line in somehow so I don't hear what i am playing in my headphones, but tos that I still can hear what I recorded on the first track
 
Monkey Allen said:
Line in is stereo?

I use Guitar Tracks Pro2 to record acoustic guitar and have just started using the line in with a condenser mic and a preamp

I have only been getting a signal in the left channel, even though I specify stereo as the input type in GTP2, In windows audio the line in is set panned middle like it should be.

I just can't work out why it only registers on the left channel.

Also, anyone know why recording via line in lets me hear what I am playing in my headphones while recording a 2nd track over a 1st track........but when I record with mic in I don't hear in my headphones what I play while I dub over the 1st track?

I like it the second way. I'd like to be able to mute that line in somehow so I don't hear what i am playing in my headphones, but tos that I still can hear what I recorded on the first track
Click to expand...

In your volume properties, make sure you have the mute box ticked.
 
Is that in the record or player volume controls?
 
Gotcha, did that last night and it works no problem. Things are starting to come together!
 
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